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Abstract:

One embodiment described herein includes a mammalian nail enamel. The
mammalian nail enamel includes at least one film forming component; at
least one plasticizer; at least one solvent; and nanoparticles of one or
more of nanoclay, nanosilica, nanopigments or nanoceramics.

Claims:

1. A method for increasing strength and flexibility of mammalian nails,
comprising:applying a nail enamel to the mammalian nails wherein the nail
enamel comprises one or more of nanoclay, nanosilica, nanopigments or
nanoceramic particles.

2. A method for making a mammalian nail enamel effective for increasing
strength and flexibility of mammalian nails, comprising:adding
nanoparticles of one or more of nanoclay, nanosilica, nanopigments or
nanoceramic particles to a nail enamel formulation.

3. The method for making a mammalian nail enamel of claim 2 wherein the
nanoparticles are added in a concentration range of about 0.05% to about
1% of the nail enamel by weight.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein clay or silica or ceramic particles
larger than nanoparticles are also added to the nail enamel formulation.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the nanoparticles are coated with an
ammonium-based material such as dimethyl, dehydrogenated tallow,
quaternary ammonium salt.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the nanoparticles comprise particles
having a 1- to 2-layer clay mineral with a plate-like structure, the
platelet having a thickness of about one Angstrom and surface dimensions
within a range of about 70 to more than 150 nanometers.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the nanoparticles are added in a
concentration of about 0.5% by weight of the nail enamel and the larger
silica or clay or ceramic particles are added in a concentration of about
0.5% by weight.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the addition of the nanoparticles
improves toughness of the mammalian nails, when applied to the nails.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the addition of the nanoparticles
increases impact resistance of the mammalian nails, when applied to the
nails.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the addition of the nanoparticles
increases mar resistance of the mammalian nails, when applied to the
nails.

11. A mammalian nail enamel, comprising:at least one film forming
component;at least one plasticizer;at least one solvent; andnanoparticles
of one or more of nanoclay, nanosilica, nanopigments or nanoceramic.

12. The nail enamel of claim 11, further comprising particles of one or
more of clay, silica, or ceramic, wherein the particles are larger than
nanoparticles.

13. The nail enamel of claim 11, wherein the nanoparticles have a
concentration of 1 percent or less by weight of the nail enamel.

14. The nail enamel of claim 12, wherein the nanoparticles have a
concentration within a range of about 0.05 to 0.5 percent by weight of
the nail enamel.

15. The nail enamel of claim 14, wherein the particles larger than
nanoparticles have a concentration within a range of about 0.05 to 0.5
percent by weight.

16. The nail enamel of claim 11, further comprising a pigment for coloring
the nail enamel.

19. The nail enamel of claim 11, wherein the nanoparticles comprise
particles having a 1- to 2-layer clay mineral with a plate-like
structure, the platelet having a thickness of about one Angstrom and
surface dimensions within a range of about 70 to more than 150
nanometers.

20. The nail enamel of claim 11, wherein the particle size of 90 percent
of the nanoparticles is less than 13 microns.

21. A base coat comprising the nail enamel of claim 11.

22. A top coat comprising the nail enamel of claim 11.

23. A clear coat comprising the nail enamel of claim 11.

Description:

FIELD

[0001]Embodiments of the invention described relate to coatings for
mammalian nails that include nanosized particles and methods for making
the coatings.

COPYRIGHT

[0002]A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has
no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent
document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and
Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all
copyright rights whatsoever. The following notice applies to the
products, processes and data as described below and in the tables that
form a part of this document: Copyright 2006, Coty Inc. All Rights
Reserved.

BACKGROUND

[0003]There are many commercial nail enamel products on the market that
include traditional clay compounds such as Stearalkonium Hectorite,
Disteardimonium Hectorite, Quaternium-18 Bentonite, Stearalkonium
Bentonite, and silica as a rheological additive. When these clays are
modified with a cation, such as a quaternary ammonium cation, the
modified clays, when processed appropriately, form a gel having
thixotropic properties. The gel prevents sedimentation of pigment in nail
enamel formulations.

DESCRIPTION

[0004]Although detailed embodiments of the invention are disclosed herein,
it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely
exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and
alternative forms. Specific structural and functional details disclosed
herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for
teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the nail enamel
embodiments. Throughout the drawings, like elements are given like
numerals.

[0005]Referred to herein are trade names for materials including, but not
limited to, polymers and optional components. The inventors herein do not
intend to be limited by materials described and referenced by a certain
trade name. Equivalent materials (e.g., those obtained from a different
source under a different name or catalog (reference) number to those
referenced by trade name may be substituted and utilized in the methods
described and claimed herein. All percentages and ratios are calculated
by weight unless otherwise indicated. All percentages are calculated
based on the total composition unless otherwise indicated. All component
or composition levels are in reference to the active level of that
component or composition, and are exclusive of impurities, for example,
residual solvents or by-products, which may be present in commercially
available sources.

[0006]Mammalian nail coating composition embodiments of the invention
include nanomaterials such as nanoclays, nanosilica, nanopigments,
nanoceramics and mixtures of these nanomaterials as rheological additives
heretofore unknown for use in nail enamel compositions. The mammalian
nail coatings that include one or more of these nanoparticle materials
have desirable performance attributes that include increased glossiness,
smoothness, and surface slip. For some embodiments of the nail enamel
compositions, the amount of Nano-Sized Clays, silica, pigments and
ceramics for use range from about 0.10 to 10.0% by weight. For some
composition embodiments, the range of nanoparticle concentration is about
0.5 to 5.0 by weight.

[0007]In its product aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide
nail enamel compositions which are suitable for use as base coats, color
coats, clear coats and protective top coats while maintaining or
surpassing the desirable characteristics of the nail enamel compositions.
The nail enamel compositions, when applied to nails, impart increased
toughness, increased strength, increased impact resistance, increased mar
resistance, increased flexibility and increased wear properties. As used
herein, the terms "lacquer," "polish" and "enamel" are used
interchangeably.

[0008]Rheological nanosized additives, by themselves or in combinations
with other Rheological Additives such as Stearalkonium Hectorite-,
Disteardimonium Hectorite, Quaternium-18 Bentonite, Stearalkonium
Bentonite or silica, in composition embodiments described herein are in
amounts sufficient to provide significantly improved physical properties
to a nail enamel film on natural or synthetic nail surfaces. Specific
examples of specific Bentonite include, but are not limited to Bentone
2004, and Bentone 166, alkylaryl ammonium hectorite, both manufactured by
Elementis Specialties of Hightstown, N.J.

[0009]While nanoclay is described herein for exemplary purposes, it is
understood that other nail enamel compositions that include nanosilica,
nanopigments and nanoceramic particles, and combinations of these
nanoparticles are also suitable for use. The nanoclay exhibits many
unique properties, in part, because the particle size is less than the
wavelength of visible light. This means that light passes between these
very fine platelets. The results include nail enamels that have a greater
gloss and depth of color.

[0010]For some embodiments, the nanoclay raw material is a particle having
a 1- to 2-layer clay mineral with a platelet structure. Multilayer
structures are also within the scope of invention embodiments. Individual
platelet thicknesses are just one Angstrom, (one-billionth of a meter),
but surface dimensions are generally 70 to more than 150 nanometers,
resulting in an unusually high aspect ratio. These materials are very
fine platelets that are roughly 1/10,000th the diameter of a human hair
in thickness.

[0011]When the nanoclay is dispersed in traditional nail polish or
polymers, the nanoclay delivers a unique combination of performance and
processing advantages including smoothness and toughness. When the nail
polish is applied to the nail, a greater portion of the nanoclay settles
into the natural striations of the nail. This allows for a tighter bond
to the nail and a smoother surface when the nail polish is dry. These
features of smoothness and toughness are manifested by greater shock
resistance, more stretchability and flexibility.

[0012]The composition embodiments described herein, may be prepared by a
sequential addition of all the ingredients or through several steps. For
example, in the case of some mammalian nail coating embodiments, the
nanoparticles may be mixed in a thixotrope such as a bentone gel.
However, the nanoclays themselves form gels similar to their larger
particle size counterparts. Processing parameters may need to be changed
in manners well known to those skilled in the art.

[0013]In one embodiment, the nanoparticles are coated nanoparticles. The
nanoparticles are coated with an ammonium-based material such as
dimethyl, dehydrogenated tallow, quaternary ammonium anion, where the
anion is, for some embodiments, chloride. The hydrogenated tallow is
about 65% C(10), 30% C(16), and about 5% C(14). For some embodiments, the
nanoparticles are a natural montmorillonite modified with a quaternary
ammonium salt. This nanoparticle embodiment is obtained from Southern
Clay Products, Inc., of Gonzales, Tex., and are known as Cloisite®
15A. Another nanoparticle embodiment is an organically modified bentonite
clay, Bentone 1651, manufactured by Elementis Specialties or Hightstown,
N.J. Other surface treatments for the nanoparticles include blending with
one or more of the following: siloxane star-graft polymer coating; epoxy
functional silane; tetra-functional silane; carboxylic acid; and
anhydride. For some embodiments, nanoparticles that have been coated with
an ammonium salt or hydroxide are further coated with an organic material
such as hexylamine, dodecylamine, trioxtylmethylammonium,
tridodecilmethylammonium and similar organic material.

[0014]Prior to incorporation of the nanoparticles into the nail enamel
formulation, the nanoparticles may be deagglomerated and stabilized. For
some embodiments, ultrasound is used for this application. A liquid jet
stream resulting from ultrasonic cavitation, overcomes the bonding
forces, e.g. van der Waals' forces between the nanoparticles, and
deagglomerates the nanoparticles. Because of the ultrasonically generated
shear forces and micro turbulences, ultrasound may assist in the surface
coating and chemical reaction of nanoparticles with other materials. For
other embodiments, homogenizers and rotor-stator mixers are usable to
deagglomerate the nanoparticles.

[0016]It is also within the scope of the nail enamel compositions to
include aldehyde condensation products such as arylsulfonamide
formaldehyde resins, specifically toluene sulfonamide formaldehyde resin
which is a condensation product of formaldehyde and toluene sulfonamide.
These secondary film forming resins are added to the nail enamel
composition embodiments to strengthen and add acceptable wear
characteristics to the primary film forming polymer. In general, the
amount of secondary film forming resin ranges form about 2 to 20 percent
by weight of the composition, and, for some embodiments, about 5 to 12
percent of the composition.

[0017]Nitrocellulose is a primary film-forming component in some
formulation embodiments described herein. A use of low levels of
nitrocellulose tends to result in the coated films being easily damaged.
On the other hand, a use of high levels of nitrocellulose results in the
coated film being too hard and inflexible, resulting in undesirable
peeling and hence poor wear resistance.

[0018]Other satisfactory film-forming components include cellulose
acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, vinyl
polymers, polyurethanes, and mixtures of polyurethanes with cellulose
acetate butyrate or with nitrocellulose as well as methacrylate and
acrylate type polymers. The film-forming component is present in an
amount sufficient to provide a stable film upon the nail enamel following
the application of the nail enamel.

[0019]In general, amounts of the film-forming component of about 8 to
about 40 weight percent for some embodiments, and about 10 to about 15
weight percent for other embodiments, are satisfactory. Examples of
nitrocellulose are the so called nitrocellulose RS 1/8 sec., RS 1/4 sec.,
and nitrocellulose 1/2 sec. and nitrocellulose RS 5-6 sec. and 60-80
sec., which have higher viscosities than the earlier grades. The term
"RS" refers to the brand of nitrocellulose with a nitrogen content of
about 11.2 to 12.8 percent with solubility in esters, ketones, and glycol
ethers. The terms % sec., 1/2 sec, 5-6 sec, and so forth represent
viscosity and refer to the time it takes for a ball to fall a given depth
in the material. Nitrocellulose is typically supplied in 70%
concentrations, wet with 30% ethyl or isopropyl alcohol. The percentages
of nitrocellulose described herein are on a dry basis of composition
embodiments. While specific nitrocellulose formulations are described
herein, the specific formulations are included as examples and are not
meant to limit methods and formulations claimed herein.

[0020]In one embodiment, the resins include Shin-Etsu KP-543
(acrylic-silicone resin), Uniplex 670P (polyester resin), PCI Group Inc.
Lacq-Hard LH-75 (polyamide resin). While specific resin formulations are
described herein, the specific formulations are included as examples and
are not meant to limit methods and formulations claimed herein.

[0021]Suitable plasticizers are incorporated in the formulation to provide
flexibility while exhibiting the wear and chip resistance and shelf
stability needed for the composition. Without intending to be limited by
theory, it is believed that plasticizers cause a composition to become
more easily deformed. Typically, plasticizers are needed in the
composition embodiments of the present invention. The composition
embodiments of the present invention may comprise from 0% to about 15%,
for some embodiments, from 0% to about 10%, and in some embodiments, from
about 0% to about 7%, by weight of the composition, of a plasticizer. One
or more plasticizers are optionally added to the composition embodiments.

[0025]The aforementioned solvents can be used alone or in mixtures
thereof. In general, the amount of solvent used in the composition
embodiments of the invention range from about 53 to 82% by weight, and,
for some embodiments about 65 to 75% by weight. For some embodiments,
organic solvents are selected from alcohols and esters having between one
and about twenty-five carbon atoms. For some embodiments, alcohols are
monohydric. It is also contemplated that, if desired, monohydric alcohols
are selected from ethanol, iso-propanol, and n-propanol. For some
embodiments, esters are selected from ethyl acetate and butyl acetate.
For other embodiments, it is contemplated that polyhydric alcohols are
usable.

[0026]Presented below are nail coating embodiments of the invention. The
examples presented herein are intended to further describe invention
embodiments and not to limit them.

[0031]Presented below is a table showing performance with respect to
hardness, flexibility, adhesion, mechanical cupping tests, variable
height impact, and gloss for nail enamel formulations that include
nanoclay particles (Nano), and nail enamel formulations that include
nanoclay particles and a rheological additive, such as stearalkonium
hectorite in a 50/50 blend (Nano+) and conventional nail enamel
(Current).

Rheological additives usable with nanoparticles to make the Nano+blend
include the following:

TABLE-US-00006
Stearalkonium Bentonite- Stearalkonium Bentonite is a Reaction
product of Bentonite and Stearalkonium
Chloride
Quaternium-18 Bentonite- Quaternium-18 Bentonite is reaction
product of Bentonite and Quaternium-18
Disteardimonium Hectorite- Disteardimonium Hectorite is the reaction
product of Distearyldimonium Chloride
and Hectorite
Stearalkonium Hectorite- Stearalkonium Hectorite is a reaction
product of Hectorite and Stearalkonium
Chloride
Silica- Silica is the inorganic oxide that conforms
to the formula SiO2. It functions as a
Suspending Agent. This includes both
untreated amorphous silica and surface
treated silica.
Quaternium-18 Bentonite Quaternium-18 Bentonite is a reaction
(nanosize)- product of Bentonite and Quaternium-18.
This is the nanoclay that we are using.

EXAMPLE 5

[0033]The formulations below are embodiments of a nail enamel formulation
that includes a quaternium-18 bentonite nanoclay. The second embodiment
includes the Nano+formulation.

[0035]The lower Slip Angle Test value indicates that a smaller angle was
required before slip of a standard puck down the angle of incline in the
nail enamel made with the nanoparticles as compared to nail enamel made
without nanoparticles. The formulation designated "2" above displayed the
following properties when compared to a conventional nail enamel.

[0036]The lower Slip Angle Test value indicates that a smaller angle was
required before slip of a standard puck down the angle of incline in the
nail enamel made with the nanoparticles as compared to nail enamel made
without nanoparticles.

[0037]The embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those
skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be
utilized and formulation and method of using changes may be made without
departing from the scope of the invention. The detailed description is
not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the invention is
defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of
equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Patent applications by Alan Farer, Kinnelon, NJ US

Patent applications by Steven W. Amato, North Plainfield, NJ US

Patent applications by Wayne M. Hoyte, Parlin, NJ US

Patent applications by Coty Inc.

Patent applications in class MANICURE OR PEDICURE COMPOSITIONS

Patent applications in all subclasses MANICURE OR PEDICURE COMPOSITIONS